The right amount of earwax is essential to cleaning and protecting your ears. However, sometimes earwax can build up in the ear and cause more serious problems.
Avoid Using Cotton Swabs To Clean Your Ears
Like many, you may think that using cotton swabs is a good way to clean your ears and prevent any earwax from building up. Unfortunately, doing so can actually push earwax deeper into your ear canal and cause serious damage to the lining of your ear canal or eardrum.
Your ears actually do a pretty good job of cleaning themselves. You can gently clean the outside of your ears with a washcloth but avoid sticking any object into your ear to try and remove earwax.
At-Home Earwax Removal Methods
If you believe you have earwax buildup, you can try a few methods at home. These include:
- Allowing a few drops of water to enter the ear while showering before tilting your head and gently rinsing it out.
- Using an eye dropper to apply a few drops of baby oil or mineral oil into the ear canal to soften the wax. After a couple of days, use a rubber-bulb syringe to gently squirt warm water into the ear canal. Once the water has drained out of the ear, the ear should be dried with a towel. Repeat several times until the wax has been removed.
- Purchasing an earwax removal kit. These can usually be found somewhere like True Pharmacy or another local drugstore.
Visit an ENT for Symptoms of Earwax Blockage
The safest way to deal with earwax blockage is to have it removed by an ENT doctor. Make an appointment if you are experiencing:
- Fullness in the ear
- Tinnitus
- Muffled hearing or temporary hearing loss
- Severe ear pain
- Fever
The last two symptoms could indicate that the blockage has turned into an infection and may require additional treatment.
An ENT will examine your ear for any blockage. If some is found, they will use one of several methods to remove the earwax, including:
- Using a small, curved instrument called a curet
- Using suction techniques
- Flushing out the wax using a syringe with warm water and saline or diluted hydrogen peroxide
- Prescribing medicated eardrops to soften earwax
If you are concerned about earwax buildup and would like to speak with a provider or schedule an appointment, contact the experts at Palmetto ENT & Allergy today.